


Final Scream

by SeoulWings13



Series: LiT - Minsoo Centric [1]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Abuse, Cemetery, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Funeral, Gen, Ghosts, Glitter, Grim Reapers, Heaven, Heaven & Hell, Hell, Hugs, Insanity, Lost in Translation, Magic, Physical Abuse, Psychological Torture, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Purgatory, Souls, Spirits, Torture, jjolee, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:55:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28546725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeoulWings13/pseuds/SeoulWings13
Summary: Becoming qualified for a Reaper's job is hard. You have toA. Die a tragic death under specific circumstances. (No one knows what)B. Be able to see ghosts and help 100 of them pass on from the mortal realm.-Minsoo happens to fall into the second category, and his life takes a turn to become a slave.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Kang Dongho | D.Min, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld/Junsu, Junsu & Kim Daehyun (Lost in Translation), Kang Dongho | D.Min & Kim Daehyun, Kim Daehyun & Lee Minsoo
Series: LiT - Minsoo Centric [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167353
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. The Boy and His Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Goodbye !gang au mayhem. 
> 
> Please enjoy this fic, it was tons and tons of fun. Also first fic of 2021!! Whoooooop
> 
> Comments do be appreciated. This is the longest fic I've written in ages. :D

Minsoo in plaintive words was a boy who could see ghosts. He'd seen them since he was young, often helping them move onto the next life. His talent led him to be isolated, unable to make living friends. His older brother was a star in school, gaining recognition and popularity with a smile to make the females around him swoon. He often had his friends come over and hang out, but they never invited Minsoo. 

Minsoo didn't need them. Right?

He had Daehyun, a young ghost who had died a tragic death as a child. Minsoo had watched it happen. He had been playing in his parent's yard, minding his own business. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Minsoo was watching an old man fade into the heavens, able to rest since he saw his daughter was getting along well in life. It was pretty, like a shower of glitter alighting the sky. 

Daehyun lived in the house next to them, the young six-year-old tossing a ball up and down. His father was drunk again, and Dae's mom had shooed him outside to shield him from the wrath. Minsoo's attention was caught with a loud shout and a small shriek. Young Daehyun was being dangled above the hedge by a cruel, meaty arm. 

Minsoo closed his eyes so he wouldn't see what was going to happen next. Though he guided ghosts, he was only nine, and witnessing a death was traumatic at any age. A thump and a thud echoed through the neighborhood. A car had been going too fast, and Dae's father had dropped him right in the path of the vehicle. Everyone heard the shattered screams of the mother and the empty gasp of the father. Minsoo poked his head out and gazed at the small body.

A little ghost was sitting next to it, trying to get back in. Without thinking, Minsoo ran and grabbed Dae's hand, tugging the ghost boy into his yard. Daehyun was crying. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be dead! Minsoo spoke in low comforting tones. Death was a friend of his. He'd be coming soon. It would all be okay. Daehyun cried into the older boy's arms. 

"It hurt." He sniffled.

"I know. But you're so strong and brave. What's your name? I'm Minsoo."

"Daehyun. Minsoo Hyung, is Death mean?"

"No, he's the gentlest being you've ever met. He calls himself Dongho." 

"Will he be mad at me?"

"Why would he be mad at you?"

"I'm a waste of space. My parents worked so hard to raise me, and then I died."

Minsoo was shocked. It wasn't Daehyun's fault he'd died. He was literally murdered. There was no choice or anything. Daehyun had gone around to look at his body again. Minsoo fetched him again. He explained why there was no reason to try and return to the land of the living. Dae's eyes were wide, and he nodded along. 

"You'll be okay. Dongho will be kind to you."

"What happens if he doesn't come?"

"I'll protect you until you can go to Heaven."

Bold words coming from a nine-year-old, but he believed them with every fiber of his small being. Daehyun trusted Minsoo, and Minsoo needed Daehyun. There was nothing to lose or gain from sticking together. The older guided the younger into his house where they sat. If they bothered to look out the window, they would've seen the little attempts to revive the dead body. Neither cared, now that they had each other.

-

Dongho didn't understand why Jaewon wouldn't let him go down and collect the little boy's soul. Daehyun had died and if his soul wasn't collected before dusk, Minsoo would have to guide Dae's soul home. And if that happened... Dongho shuddered. That was a fate he never wished upon anyone. There was an alternate option, but it was also painful. There would be no happiness in either. 

His dark hair blew in the wind, his cloak and hood keeping him invisible from mortals. It was an annoying stereotype they all carried scythes. Dongho favored a walking stick. He didn't kill, merely collected. Jaewon often tried to get him to wear a suit like a drama reaper, but Dongho liked his thick cloak. It was a remnant from when he was alive; the only thing he had to keep warm with before he froze to death. Just before he had touched Heaven's gates, he had been taken and forced to work.

Jaewon summoned Dongho back into the reaper's ward. His face had set into a line, and Dongho fell to his knees, begging to not let Minsoo's fate be just that. He was lying outstretched on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes. Jaewon had shown him the numbers. Minsoo had already helped countless souls. It would take just one more. Daehyun's. 

"Please Jaewon, he's just a child." the deep voice of the reaper pleaded. 

"He's helped 99 souls, 34 of which he met you. I just need him to help one more." the lilting voice of the red-headed diety laughed. 

"A child. Jaewon. You think he can handle it?" 

"He's seen so much death already. The kid doesn't care about his life."

"There's no guarantee he'll end up where we did. He could be snatched by the other. He's also nine. Life is a strange concept." 

"I won't let him be snatched by the other. Nine isn't too young, anyway."

"You can't say that."

"Dongho. I am a higher reaper in this position. I call the shots." 

Dongho was quiet.

"I am the Upper. You forgot since the other one, uh, passed on. It doesn't hurt me if it doesn't work out. Besides I got the power now." Jaewon laughed. It was a tinkling bell sound.

"The Lower is going to grab him. Jaewon, he's not going to get a happy life if you do this. He's going to be in pain. You know how he is."

"Best case scenario I get him. Worst case scenario, the Lower gets him. We aren't hurt anyway. Or wait," he paused, "Dongho, you haven't grown attached to the mortal, have you?"

Dongho gritted his teeth. He had pushed Jaewon far; it wouldn't be wise to keep going. He had in fact, grown attached to Minsoo. The poor boy had done and felt so much. It wasn't fair to subject him to force himself into two awful fates. Both were painful, though one was worse than the other. 

"No, Sir."

"That's what I thought."

-

Dongho was dismissed, and Jaewon twirled a feather in his fingers. Dongho looked human enough, but he, the king or boss of the upper reapers, was a little more flashy. He was dressed in a large cape, wearing an old decorated gentleman's suit underneath. Jaewon's scarlet wings and hair only accentuated the deep blues, golds, and purples in his outfit. A golden crown perched atop his head.

Once upon a time, he had been kinder than Minsoo and sweeter than Daehyun. He had been more caring and trusting than Dongho. Years ago, Jaewon had feelings. He was a ghost seer like Minsoo, helping them pass on. His parents shunned him, and his village scoffed at him. Even as they died they still mocked him. He never let it get to him and helped them pass on, no matter what. 

Jaewon too had helped 99 souls. In some tragic twist of fate, he fell in love with his hundredth. The soul had promised to stay with him forever before kissing him and passing on. She vanished into a flurry of snow melting in the weak sunlight. Jaewon snapped. She had made a promise and broken it in the same breath. There was no loyalty. If there was none in his village, there was none in the world. 

He went insane with grief and the desire to never feel overtook him. Jaewon didn't feel it, and he was always looking for the next source of amusement. When the job to become a reaper was offered, he took it. There was no way he was supposed to enjoy the existence as a reaper, but Jaewon did. He laughed when he gathered souls and hummed while he watched deaths. He clapped when there was an amusing end to a life, and cheered when a soul was sent all the way down. When the previous boss had filled his quota and left, Jaewon took his spot. 

There were rumors he tampered with his quota, making it unfillable. Others whispered that he stopped reaping and would play little games to keep himself amused. When an innocent soul froze in a harsh winter, Jaewon took it. Dongho was trained to be the perfect reaper and a constant source of amusement. More rumors circled with how Jaewon kept adding a zero to the end of Dongho's quota so they could stay together forever. 

Jaewon wasn't an easy master. Dongho remembered hiding from the fits of rage. Though he was older, Jaewon had died at 24, and Dongho 22. Jaewon was eternally older than Dongho, granting him the respect of the "younger" reaper. Dongho ran and hit when Jae was in fits of rage. Things were thrown and Dongho was often beaten. Dongho was subject to the verbal abuse of being yelled at for never being loyal. He withstood accusations of running away. Yet, through all this, Dongho saw how much Jaewon needed him. 

Every time Jaewon lost his temper, he would always dissolve into tears, begging Dongho not to leave him. They had a bond and to break it would be a sin. The intenseness of Jaewon's pleas was enough to let Dongho understand Jaewon was still crazy. He still was scared of being abandoned. Though he was older and in a place of a higher power, Jaewon was still a child. He wanted to have fun but didn't understand the concept of happiness. All he knew was boredom, pain, and amusement. 

In his twisted mind and world, Jaewon would make up scenarios and be unable to distinguish them from reality. Dongho would come and keep him grounded, forcing him to realize what was real. Though Jaewon bad-mouthed him and called him disloyal, subconsciously, he knew Dongho wouldn't leave him. Ever.

-

Dusk passed and dawn came. Minsoo was shocked to see Daehyun sitting on the edge of his bed. Dongho must've reaped too many souls last night. It was hard to collect everyone before dusk. There were some other reapers on duty, but Dongho only spoke of one other. He was supposedly a reaper for the other side. Minsoo had asked the name but had been denied. Dongho had been stern.

"If you say his name, he'll find you and he'll hurt you." 

Minsoo focused his attention on the little ghost playing with a little ball. Daehyun's eyes lit up when he saw Minsoo was awake. 

"Hyung! I can fly! Look!" Minsoo watched as Daehyun floated in the air, his skin slightly transparent. 

"That's great Dae. Let's get breakfast and then maybe Dongho will come for you today."

Daehyun gave an earnest nod and followed Minsoo downstairs. Dongho didn't show up at all. Minsoo looked worriedly at Daehyun who was throwing his little ball up and down. Minsoo grew worried as the lack of any reaper appeared. He treated Dae like a little brother, helping him get by as a ghost. Often, Minsoo forgot Daehyun was dead. 

They would play at the park together. Daehyun would float above Minsoo's head and they'd tire themselves out in an endless game of tag. Dae's little ball would be used for games of capture the flag or catch. When Minsoo was given money for ice cream, no matter how futile it was, he'd try and help Dae take a bite. It was useless, Minsoo was the only solid thing Daehyun and his ball could interact with.

-

Days passed, then months, and then years. The two became close, Minsoo never paying attention to other ghosts. Dongho kept an eye on them, wanting nothing more to collect the poor boy's soul. As Minsoo aged physically, Daehyun was still trapped in the six-year-old body. Trapped. And because of Jaewon's order's he couldn't do anything. Jaewon the wildcard amongst reapers, answering only to himself.

Minsoo was benefiting from having a friend, though he was ostracized from the living peers of his. Daehyun helped him with school, taught him little games, and made up things they could do together. In return, Minsoo didn't leave him. During exams, Daehyun would whisper the answers, and when Minsoo had his 14th birthday, Daehyun surprised him with a little poem he wrote for his Hyung.

~~

"I'm a little ghost, but you can see me." 

"I never thought to cry, but you held me."

"When I had nowhere to go, you saved me."

"Thank you for loving me, even though to others it may look weird."

"You're a boy and I'm your ghost."

"Together, we'll be friends forever."

"I don't want death to do us part."

~~

Minsoo had cried. He didn't cry to his mom and certainly not to his brother, but he cried to Daehyun. Tears conveyed feelings words couldn't. There was a beauty to the brokenness a tear showed. Often the number of tears he cried showed just how strong he had become as a person, even though he was cursed to live a twisted life.

It had been seven years since Daehyun had died, and Minsoo still visited the grave. Daehyun tagged along, still, a little weirded out his grave was right there and he was dead. Minsoo happened to run into Dae's mom for the first time. She collapsed in front of the grave, single for the first time in ages. It had been ten long years of fighting for a divorce, but it had happened. She had been fighting ever since her husband became an abusive alcoholic but was still too late to save her son. 

"Daehyun, Mom loves you. Mom's always loved you. I fought to make it better for you, and now he's gone, maybe you can rest peacefully. Momma won't be hit anymore. I promise. I would do it all over just to have you for another six years." Pearly tears dripped onto the grave. Mrs. Kim straightened up and walked off, leaving the sixteen-year-old and his ghost companion unnoticed.

Minsoo awkwardly turned to his companion. The little ghost turned to Minsoo. 

"Can you say it, please? The thing you said you say to spirits when they feel like they're going to move on?"

He knew this was what was tying him to the mortal world. He had made peace with it now and was free because of Mrs. Kim's confession. Minsoo didn't want to lose his best friend, but he had to do what was better for the other person. It wasn't Daehyun's fault he was being forced to move on. 

Minsoo's eyes filled with tears, but his friend was dissolving into glitter as they spoke. "You d-did. You did well Daehyun. May the light guide you, and you no longer be trapped on this Earth as a cruel game of fate. May you go in peace."

Daehyun smiled as his body dissolved into a rainbow, a chain releasing the boy from his enslavement. The air filled with the scent of fresh rain, and the sun shone a bit brighter. Minsoo cried. His only friend had moved on. He sighed. Another soul came and went. This was the first time he'd gotten attached. A tear trailed down his face.

"Goodbye Minsoo Hyung!!" the small voice echoed.

Minsoo turned to leave the graveside, stopped when he felt himself being pulled down into the ground. He was yanked to where it was cold, his humanity and life being stripped away. He wasn't dead, nor had he done anything to merit this, but it felt like the gates of Hell were trying to pull him inward. What had he done? Why was he being pulled downward?

An angel-like figure with red hair came and extended his hand, but recoiled when he saw how far Minsoo had fallen. The Lower had him now. There was no rescuing him. Dongho shot forward, crashing into a barrier with incredible force. A silent, strangled cry for help forced it's way out of Minsoo's lips, his hands outstretched for one of the Reapers to grab.

"Minsoo!" 

The panicked boy could only stare at the kind touch of Death, the only one he trusted. The other angel just laughed. Jaewon was ready for a show. 

"Oh, dear. It seems as if the Lower caught him."

-

The two ascended to Hevan, Dongho seething with rage. Jaewon had said he'd try, but Jaewon was the most powerful. There was no need for him to try. He just did what was most amusing for himself. Jun had Minsoo now. The boy who could've been an angel was now forced to be a demon. A sob escaped Dongho's lips. Jaewon glanced over. 

"You look upset. Was it because I couldn't save your human friend?"

"Yes." When Dongho gave short answers, even Jaewon knew to back off a bit. 

"I'm sorry. I tried you know." That was a lie. Jaewon lied often, and Dongho knew it.

"Thank you for trying." he spat through gritted teeth.

"Anything for my little ice cube."

Those words hit a nerve deep in Dongho's soul. He turned to Jaewon, murderous flames in his eyes. 

"I'm 22. You're 24. Jun is 25. Minsoo is 16. SIXTEEN. Jaewon you condemned a child to torment when you saw, as clear as I, he was an angel. Jaeown he's just like you. He did it all you did. Maybe he didn't fall in love, but you're making him the twisted opposite of you. Except Jun is worse. He's going to lose his own free will, lose himself and it'll be because of you. I tried to save him, but you're so selfish in only wanting your entertainment."Dongho heaved for breath. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT TO A CHILD, JAEWON. JUST BECAUSE YOUR LIFE SUCKED DOESN'T MAKE IT OKAY TO RUIN ANOTHER PERSON."

Jaewon smirked. "He won't be a person for much longer." a small laugh escaped the Sociopath's mouth.

-

Hell was nothing like Minsoo had imagined. It was beautiful, painted in red and orange. There was an underlying black though like a leech draining the beauty from the place. Yet everything blended perfectly. Artistic spirals of black crystal formed a throne in the middle of it. On the throne was the most beautiful man Minsoo had ever seen. He had pale porcelain skin, piercing eyes, and a dark stain across his neck. The stain seemed to hum, Minsoo realizing it was the root of evil in this place. 

"You're-"

"Satan, The Lower, Jun. Whatever. Who gave you the right to speak?" Jun loomed over the boy, inspecting what he had pulled. "Jae seemed to want you, Dongho even more. What makes you so special?"

Minsoo turned and ran. Jun had seen it before and was ready. However, he let Minsoo run a little further before sending the demon spawn to go and capture him. He liked a good chase. If Jaewon saw something in this child, enough for Dongho to ram himself into Hell's barrier, the kid might have some form of potential. Usually, it was for something lame like an angel. Hopefully, he could make a Reaper out of the kid. 

Several demons came and pricked Minsoo's finger, collecting the blood into a small vial. Others held him down, forcing him to stay still, and not run. Minsoo watched the demon drink his blood like some creepy vampire. 

"Well, you taste good. You aren't easily corruptible, strong mind, strong body. You can handle a lot. Young too. You're 16, and from now, will never be any older or younger. Right now, it's a matter of if you deserve a chance though. I can make you one of my reapers. Not fair Jae has Dongho. You'll have to do it. But Boy, I'm not as crazy or as kind as the two of them. I'm worse." 

Minsoo's eyes must've widened in fear because Jun took an interest in one of the small orbs. He ran a pale finger down Minsoo's cheek, before ripping out one of the eyes. The shriek of pain echoed up to Heaven when Dongho crouched over in grief and guilt.

"He's begun." Jaewon's excited voice echoed through the building, "Dongho, honey? Fetch me soul 23,468. He could be interesting. Actually- Just keep an eye on him. He'll be useful later."

-

Jun stared at the orb, transfixed. He tossed it away, leaving several demons to fight over it. Summoning pure evil, a small black ball with a shining red and orange core hardened into his palm. With no care or ceremony, it was shoved into Minsoo's eye socket. It burned. The flesh around the eye burned and blackened, adapting to the pure pain and evil of Hell. Minsoo staggered back, tears trickling from his good eye. Jun caught one and tasted it. Human sadness was the sweetest thing, and his favorite treat. 

The ground seemed to come alive and consume Minsoo, forcing him to hold still. Jun loomed over him, and Minsoo saw the devil's wings and horns poking from his head and back. Jun tapped Minsoo's new eye replacement, tracing the blackened skin around it. Wherever his finger trailed, cracks appeared in the skin. Jun continued until Minsoo's face was covered in cracks. A delighted chuckle escaped his lips. 

"Nice, very nice! We can do a bit of a makeover later, but you're going to be my broken doll. All covered in cracks like old China. I'll have to give you a new name though." He noticed a questioning glance on Minsoo's face. "You didn't think Jae, Dongho, and I went around using our names? No, it's Wyld, D.Min, and Joker. At your service." He gave a deep bow. "But I can always name you later. We'll break you, train you, I give you a makeover, and then powers, and then the real fun begins."

Several demons took Minsoo away. He was subject to torment, mental and physical. Sometimes every bone in his body would break repeatedly. Other times he'd wander for miles in a blizzard or fire to find no one. Taunting laughter would play in his ears. The worst part was when Jun himself would oversee the reprogramming. A whip would follow Minsoo's heels, tripping and beating him. Broken glass littered the floor. When Jun caught up to him, he was tied to a boulder, bearing the punishments of thousands of souls. 

Isolation, physical pain, mental pain, he was told he was worthless, he thirsted for water just out of his reach, he felt the guilt of murderers, the regret of those who wasted their life, there was the abuse of those who had been abusers, there was the constant telling he was worthless, the pain of friends and family leaving. Yet those were outnumbered by those who had committed suicide. He felt the grief of all their families. Jun really had a field day.

Don't feel. Be numb. It was all Minsoo could do to survive. He was numb, and eventually, he stopped caring. It hurt, but he didn't care. He was just a dirty sinner amongst thousands. This was his punishment. The cracks in his face spread all over his body until he looked like a broken china doll. Very little of his original features remained. It churned in an endless cycle, and then it stopped. 

Obedience training occurred next. Each disobedience and he held the punishments of sinners in all of Hell. Minsoo grew quiet and complacent, obeying anyone with expert precision. He was diligent and quiet. Just how Jun wanted. 

-

"Minsoo," Jun called out. He had been amused with the progress, and the sheer amount of time it took to break him. But he was broken now. It only took a year and a half to make Minsoo completely obedient. 

The dull eyes of the potential reaper fixed on Jun's shoes. Any higher and he'd be beaten. Any lower and he'd be mocked.

"You're ready."

Minsoo's eye widened slightly, the blackened orb flashing a deeper red. 

"Well? Speak. Tell me how excited you are."

"Thank you, Master." Minsoo's paper-thin voice rasped. "Thank you for not sending me to live eternally in torment." His cracked lips moved slowly as if he didn't know how to speak. 

"Now for the fun part." Jun snapped his fingers. "Oh, It's going to hurt. Don't hold back those lovely screams this time." 

Fear coursed through Minsoo. That and pain were the only things he was capable of feeling, and currently, he felt both. His body rapidly grew to the same height as Dongho, stretching several centimeters too much. A scream ripped from his throat as he hunched over. His body cracked a bit more, and his dark hair turned white. His body gained more muscle but lost fat giving him a lean, hungry look. 

Minsoo watched his skin pale, and veins appear where the cracks were making them darker. His back screamed in pain as the skeletons of wings ruptured the flesh. They quickly were covered in blackened feathers. His eye pulsed and a wave of evil through the broken body, existing to only cause pain. 

Someone, him, was screaming. The one good eye he had turned a dark red. There was no more change after that. Jun walked over and raked a nail across Minsoo's face, starting above the blackened orb and ending at the opposite end of his face. A jagged cut smoothly turned into a pale scar on his already pale face. 

Minsoo quieted his screams and was thrown a black cape-like cloak. The interior was a red color, and Minsoo found his body adorned in a black loose cropped top and skintight pants. The cracks were visible through the thin material, and Jun laughed. As a cruel joke to further the broken doll, or maybe now a broken puppet, look strings were attached to each of Minsoo's limbs. Another attached itself to his back, penetrating flesh and wrapping around his spine. The other strings followed suit, penetrating, and wrapping around wrists, arms, ankles, and legs. The final string secured itself tightly around his neck. 

"My little Marionette." Jun cooed, placing a pure white, but broken, cracked mask on Minsoo's face. The mask covered his entire face, minus the cursed orb standing in the place of an eye. The mouth was carven into a smile. "You look so beautiful. I'll call you that now."

As a sick joke, the strings rose and hovered above Minsoo, moving when he moved like a puppet on a string. Pain coursed through him as he was eternally bound to a reaper's contract, and even more so when he was given a weapon. They were three metal balls, mentally linked to Minsoo to serve as a reminder of Daehyun's little ball.

-

More time had passed since Marionette was released to collect Jun's souls. Jaewon was restless but unwilling to do anything about it. Dongho had moved on. There was nothing to do but wait till Jun came to show Minsoo off. It would happen when Minsoo had collected 100 souls. From what Dongho knew, the boy was at 91 with the option to collect the remaining nine tonight. He wasn't disappointed. 

Jun appeared at the place mortals called purgatory. He summoned Minsoo who was watching his three balls rotate just above his palm. His strings were all clutched in his master's hand. The two of them waited as Wyld and D.Min showed up edging away from the reapers of hell. Dongho noticed Minsoo was taller and he looked different. The mask covered his eye, and his hair fell across the black sphere. There was no childhood innocence to him anymore. Just empty brokenness. 

"I see you made him into a Reaper," Jaewon said, a glint shimmering in his eye. "What do you call him? Can he do any tricks?"

Jun chuckled. Jae was often the main amusement in the dull existence the both bothered to endure. "Marionette can indeed do tricks. What would you like to see?"

"Make him break his finger." 

Dongho looked at Jaewon in shock. That of all requests? Jaewon was a little wild, but to project all his anger and frustration onto the child, simply because he was like a mirror was cruel. Dongho should've said something, but he didn't. He watched Marionette snap his finger like he felt no pain. There was no grimace or anything. 

Dongho watched, sick as Jaewon began kicking and hitting the youngest reaper. He thought he saw a flash of betrayal in Minsoo's eyes, but there were no emotions that Jun let show on his beloved pet's face. Minsoo endured the beatings, his cloak being ripped away exposing the tight and cropped clothing he was forced to wear. The cracks were truly everywhere. 

A plan started forming in Dongho's head. Maybe he could help Minsoo regain some humanity, but he had signed a contract. He was unwillingly enslaved to Jun for all eternity like Dongho was to Jaewon. Jun said something, and he and Jaewon left. The only thing Jun said to Minsoo was to play nice and hold a nice conversation.

"Minsoo?"

The boy looked at Dongho.

"You look different."

He received a nod.

"What happened to you?"

"It hurt." Minsoo's low and quiet voice struggled to form those two, oh so simple words. 

"Where?"

"Everywhere. And here." He pointed to the blackened eye.

"You sound scared."

"Jun's a disciplined master."

"What did he do to you?"

"Saved me."

"How?"

"He can make it stop hurting."

"I have something to show you."

An eyebrow quirk. 

Dongho clapped and a small spirit came floating around. He was reciting some lined of poetry and the two reapers caught the last lines. 

"You're a boy and I'm your ghost."

"Together, we'll be friends forever."

"I don't want death to do us part."

Minsoo's eyes widened. "D-d-daehyun."

The boy looked over at Minsoo and screamed. He wasn't the soft soul who had helped guide him to Heaven. He was Marionette, a product of Hell and Jun. There was no saving or turning him back into what he was. Dahyun ran. Minsoo let him go. He wanted to chase after the boy and hug him. He wanted to say it was him, Minsoo. But it was better for Daehyun to leave and go back to Heaven.

Jun and Jaewon came back, business because business was completed for this term. There was no happy ending to Dae's and Minsoo's story. Daehyun had run, and Minsoo had been broken into an emotionless Reaper. Missions occurred, time after time.

-

Years passed. Then decades and centuries. Reapers came and went. There was little talk of legends anymore. The Reapers kept doing their jobs. People were sorted accordingly. One night, Minsoo was waiting for a soul to die. He took off his mask, the red-eye dilating to fit the light. He smiled softly to himself and started reciting the lines of a poem he had almost forgotten. 

"You're a ghost and I'm a Reaper."

"Together, we'll be friends forever."

"I don't want death to do us part."

Then he swept down and collected his soul. Up in Heaven, a little child was saying the same lines with tears in his eyes.


	2. The Universe Did us Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minsoo had become numb after all Jun put him through. Daehyun has left him forever. There is nothing left to do, but work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hskldfjafglsaidurgewiorgfdsgkfajdgsf
> 
> IM FREE

"You're a ghost and I'm a Reaper."

"Together, we'll be friends forever."

"I don't want death to do us part."

-

Minsoo hummed as he stalked his next soul. The city was bathed in fluorescent and neon lighting. Centuries had passed since he had "died" but Minsoo had no concept of time anymore. Why would he, when Jun told him what to do and when to do it? If he failed to complete the task, pain. It was very simple. Lately, as he became more experienced, Jun was harsher. Punishments were crueler. Minsoo took them. He existed for nothing else.

Floating down on feathered wings, he collected the soul of the poor mortal trying to hide from his deeds. He was a murderer. He reaped the soul quickly, the familiar tugging in his stomach pulling him to Hell. He descended, eyes closed, landing on the blackened glass of Hell's floors. Jun had a quirked smile as he seized the strings attached to the young reaper.

"How long has it been since I broke you, boy?" Jun idly plucked a feather from Minsoo's wings,

"789 years."

"Your look is a little outdated, and you're boring. All you do is obey. You're so quiet. No screams, tears, nothing. Should we change that?"

"No, sir." Minsoo trembled imperceptively to the mortal eye. But Jun wasn't mortal and he noticed.

"The air smells like fear. Maybe no makeover? Just breaking? You haven't been all the way to the bottom of Hell yet, have you?"

Minsoo nodded. The bottom of Hell was reserved for the worst people to live. Every part of one's body was supposed to be in immense pain, and the sights were supposed to be so fantastical the eyes wouldn't be able to comprehend it. It was the scariest place anyone could imagine. Jun knew that. Minsoo knew that.

"Then, for your first time, three days? You're going to have so much fun down there."

Minsoo silently pleaded not to be subject to the pain of Hell's deepest level, but there was no hope anymore. He couldn't resist, nor could he run. Slowly he walked to the pit and jumped. Chains rose to attach to his strings. He was frozen mid-air being pulled down to the bottom of the pit. Harpies flew around him pecking at his frame. As soon as he entered the lowest level the chains released him. Minsoo couldn't move, his entire body was writhing in pain. Every cell in his body was erupting in agony.

Fire licked at his ankles and the string around his neck tightened. It pulled him deeper into the pit. A strangled cry escaped his lips, a tear trickling down his face. He couldn't think. His body hurt so badly. He was crushed by grief, anxiety, guilt, and trauma. He couldn't be numb. He could only feel all the weight of sinners around him, multiplied by the pain and 795 years of existence. He was left to rot, patches of his skin cracking.

The three days dragged by. Minsoo's thoughts were full of nothingness. It was anguish. He hadn't stopped screaming. He hadn't stopped crying. The seeming beauty of Hell was deep distraught pain. Only people like Jun could see beauty. The young reaper gasped for a breath of air, only to find water rushing into his mouth and nose. It leaked from every hole in his body. There was no air anywhere.

Semi relief flooded his burning body as the water left, only to be replaced with fire. The flames consumed his body, every crack illuminated like they were going to burst. He let out a strangled gasp, the broken mortal body he was in unable to withstand more torture. There was little relief in anything.

As Minsoo lay with his cloak tossed to the side and his shirt shredded, the strings rose, holding him in the air. Screams echoed around, filling Jun's domain. Whips lashed at his bare torso. The cracks all over his body stayed like inky tattoos. Anguish and pain were his only mindset. Every loss was felt. Until Jun rescued him.

Minsoo was pulled to the highest level of Hell at Jun's feet. The shirtless cracked doll lay at the feet of the Lord of Hell. Jun yanked him to his feet with the string on his back. He smiled in delight, the broken reaper barely conscious. He had been screaming for three days straight, tearstains ingrained onto his mask. Jun smiled and got to work.

Cracks were deepened, the skin was lightened, and Minsoo looked beautiful. His features were so ethereal. Jun was nothing if not the most beautiful being in the universe. His underling had to follow suit. Minsoo was issued a new shirt and cloak and sent on a new mission. Jun liked to break him and then force him to work.

-

Minsoo alighted on a building. His victim was a fifteen-year-old male. Without looking at his face, Minsoo reaped moved to reap the soul. Another person lept in front of him. Daehyun, reborn and on his last life, had saved a stranger. Minsoo didn't notice until they were in Hell. Jun looked with interest at the soul he had brought. Daehyun remembered the events of his previous lives as he entered Hell. He had died at 90, and then at six. There was a boy who helped him at six. He had been nice. The reaper sorta looked like him.

Daehyun tugged gently on the reaper's sleeve. "Minsoo?"

Minsoo looked down, horror and recognition filling his gaze. Something deep inside him, the little humanity left inside of him, compelled him to run and hug Daehyun. The reaper clung to the boy who had been taken too early. It was too soon. Too soon. Tears dripped down Minsoo's face, his sobs muffled by Dae's shirt.

He had been searching for centuries for his little ghost. Even though the ghost had run from him centuries ago, Daehyun was here now. He was real. Minsoo was a reaper. He had killed Daehyun. Even worse, he was a Lower Reaper, unable to take a soul to heaven. Daehyun was trapped in hell and it was all Minsoo's fault.

Remorseful tears dripped down Minsoo's face. The pain he felt was sharper than any punishment, harsher than any word, and more painful than any injury. He had condemned his best friend to an eternal life of torment. Daehyun hugged the reaper.

"Minsoo Hyung. I missed you," he said softly. Minsoo looked different, but he didn't act differently. Daehyun smiled. This was his friend who helped him no matter what. He was safe here. This place was beautiful in red and orange hues. Innocent Daehyun didn't see the suffering. He saw beauty in everything, no matter how tough it was.

Slow clapping ensued. Jun was laughing. "My little Reaper, look at you. Crying over a mistakenly Reaped soul. Do you know what we do to mistakes? They hurt more than anyone here. All the way down they go into the last level."

Minsoo's eyes widened and he fell to his knees. "Please- please, I'll do anything. Just send him to heaven where he belongs. Jaewon and Dongho can collect him in purgatory. Please don't hurt him."

Jun twitched in amusement. "I'll ask Jae what he thinks. For now, Daehyun can start his punishment."

A snap and Daehyun vanished, leaving Minsoo crying in a corner. Daehyun didn't deserve this. If only he were stronger, if only- He was cut off with a strangled noise. Jun had sent him to be with Daehyun in the place he had just escaped from. The lowest level had more pain to prey on, more hurt to expose. Minsoo crawled to Daehyun and curled around him as if to protect him from Hell's pain.

-

True to his word, Jun called Jaewon. The two reapers met, the air around them coursing with electricity. Jaewon ran to the other reaper and hugged him. Jun hugged back. Besides Dongho, Jun was the only other stable factor in his existence. From this and his previous. Unlike Dongho, Jaewon would do anything for the Lower reaper.

"What do you need?"

"Minsoo reaped his best friend. The ghost child, on his last life. He wants to send him to Heaven where he belongs. He said he'd take his friend's place."

"Loyalty?"

"Yes, Jaewon. Loyalty. He's being loyal. Will you take the soul?"

Jaewon's face hardened. "Show me how much he wants to free the soul. See how much he'll take."

"Jaewon."

"He knows nothing of loyalty. No one does. Loyalty is a dead idea. No one is loyal anymore. No one."

"Jaewon. The world has changed in the past 1000s of years."

"Easy for you to say."

With those final words, Wyld flew back to Heaven. Dongho had been watching. He had seen them hug before; that's not what shocked him. What shocked him was the venom in Jaewon's voice. Loyalty was a concept Dongho had drilled into him. Before Jaewon went even more insane, he had always stressed collecting the correct soul and keeping promises. It was something from his past when he was living. Jun factored in the story too. Dongho was never told the story.

Jaewon moved to his room, Dongho to his own quarters. Several hours passed, and Dongho finally went to check on his strangely silent boss. He found Jaewon passed on the floor. His crown was thrown to the side, and a bottle was opened and thrown to the side. Hundreds of little white pills littered the ground, and hundreds more were in Jaewon's mouth. There was no telling how many he had ingested.

Moving on instinct, Dongho took in Jaewon's room. He was receiving updates from Jun about Minsoo and Daehyun. There were sleeping pills everywhere. Dongho was rattled. Did Jaewon forget he was immortal? What could've hurt him so much he wished to try and end it like this? What had happened to Jaewon all those years ago?

Dongho looked at the updates from Jun. There were live feed and text updates. Jun seemed sympathetic. Dongho had seen Jun listed as an upper reaper. It made no sense. He was the Lower. The most powerful reaper Hell had ever seen. It had to be a mistake, except Heaven didn't make those, especially not in the records of souls and Reapers.

-

Jaewon stirred behind him, waking to disappointing news. He was still alive. The tampering he had done on the records hurt him right now. There was nothing more he could do but live in this miserable life. Betrayal flashed through his eyes as he saw Dongho watching the screen and reading the update. His quarters were private. Invasion of privacy was the destruction of loyalty, and Jaewon couldn't stand disloyalty. He rose and hit Dongho on the back of his head. As the other turned, Jaewon started hitting and kicking Dongho.

He didn't want to hurt the younger too badly, but he didn't want Dongo to think he had grown complacent. Blow after blow landed squarely. Jaewon laughed, though they quickly turned to sobs. Dongho eventually got up and cradled the older Reaper in his arms. Jaewon's mental instability often left him hurting and broken. Dongho knew this was the time when Jaewon needed him most.

"Why are you so fixed on the loyalty of another?" Dongho murmured to the now sleeping form of Jaewon. He received a mumbled answer, the jumbled words telling him to collect Daehyun and bring him to Heaven. Dongho gave a quick nod. He descended to purgatory, surprised to see Jun waiting there with Daehyun.

"Here."

"How did you know?"

"I know Jae."

"He-"

"Overdosed, or tried too?"

"Yeah, how did-"

"We have a lot of history. Just take the soul. I need to go have a chat with Minsoo. Tell Jae Minsoo has taken more than I expected for him."

"Will he be okay?"

"He's broken, but will live."

"We all will live. There's nothing that can end us except maybe our contracts. How many more do you have?"

"My contract has no limit. No minimum. Neither does Minsoo's. It's a Lower world thing."

"Jaewon tampered with ours. We both have no limit."

"I know. He needs you. Go take the soul and stay with him. Be back before he wakes up."

Jun descended to Hell while Dongho rose. He followed orders and sat, waiting for Jaewon to awaken. The Reaper had swallowed more pills and just lay quietly, even breaths signaling he was still living in the cursed life. Dongho wondered again about the history between his master, and Minsoo's. The two were closer than they let on.

-

Minsoo lifted his head weakly. Daehyunw was gone. He was probably in heaven where he belonged. A year of this and Minsoo's debt would be repaid. He cursed weakly but was starting to feel numb again. The place had so much to torment him with, his mind trying to hide from all the pain. Jun was kind and had let Daehyun free, but Minsoo was tormented. The string around his neck dragged him around the landscape eventually stopping at the edge of a pit. There a beast resided. He was pure evil, and every part of him burned. Minsoo curled into a tighter ball to shield himself.

Jun watched in semi-amusement. The suffering wasn't bringing him as much joy. Dongho had brought back memories of Jaewon when he was alive. Jun had been the one to collect Jaewon's soul after he had helped his one-hundredth soul. It was a beautiful time but Jun could hardly recall it, his mind corrupted from the millennia in Hell. He missed being human often, but there was nothing he could do. He was as trapped as Minsoo.

~~

Jun and Jaewon grew up at the same time, but Jun had died before Jaewon could really understand who he was. Jaewon was around five years old when Jun was killed in a tragic accident. Like Daehyun, Jun's death was technically murder. His older brother had been holding a flaming stick and been chasing the six-year-old Jun around. It was Jun's fault the family was so big. He was the sixth child, and there was a seventh on the way. No one cared a seventh child was going to be born; seventh children were always lucky. Jun wasn't.

"Why don't you do us all a favor and die, Freak?"

"You're the reason Mom can't eat enough for the new baby."

"It's all your fault. Just shut up and die."

"Do you need help?"

His five older brothers all swarmed him. Jun felt their beating kicks. The oldest hoisted Jun up and the others set his skin alight. The burning of flesh filled the air. Jun screamed in pain. He didn't understand why it hurt so much. Then it was cold. Very cold. He couldn't breathe. He was drowning. The flames still ate at his flesh and he suffocated. His soul rose into the air, taken to Heaven by the current Upper. Since it was a sane murder by family, Jun was taken to become a reaper.

Since the boy was six, and he hadn't seen ghosts, he was given the option to age up. Jun selected the age of 25. It wasn't a bad age to be forever. Jun kept an eye on Jaewon and his newly born sister. They were in their early 20s when Jun watched his sister die. She caught the illness going around and failed to survive. Jun moved to reap her soul, but she had died just before dusk. He was too late. For a Heaven-bound soul to be reaped, they had to die before the sunset. If they didn't they had to find a ghost seer to guide them home.

Jun was too late, but Jaewon was there for his sister. He watched them interact, and it was quite obvious Jaewon was falling hard. His sister seemed indifferent, using Jaewon as a means to get back to heaven. Jun looked on in disappointment. Jaewon was a pure lovely soul, but he was going to be hurt until he realized what his sister felt. Luckily for Jun, his sister came around. She grew to love. Jaewon taught her to love.

When she confessed Jun sighed in relief, but when she kissed Jaewon and started to evaporate, the reaper let out a pained cry. Jaewon was distraught. He was 24 and had spent time with the love of his life for 19 years, even after she died. It was a tragic twist of fate. There was nothing fair about the situation. Since it was Jaewon's 100th soul, he was supposed to become a reaper. Finally, Jun was allowed to go down and collect Jaewon's soul.

The younger male had been distraught. He didn't want to die. He was only 24. However, there was nothing left for him to live for on Earth. Jaewon accepted the role with the hope he'd see the love of his life yet again, and he did. She was standing at the gate of Heaven. When she saw Jaewon, her face fell. The words she uttered haunted Jaewon to this day.

"I don't love you anymore." And then she vanished.

Jaewon went crazy. He had given up everything for her. There was no logic to her actions and his grief was justified. His mental state began to deteriorate. Jaewon stopped working. Hundreds of souls went uncollected. Jun understood his grief, but it was all he could do to try and keep their quotas filled. One night, he faltered. A soul short, Jaewon was in trouble with the Upper. Jun couldn't bear the thought of Jaewon enduring more pain and volunteered to fall below to the underworld.

As Jun fell, Jaewon broke completely. The two people he loved most were gone. Jun was gone because of him. There was no reason why he didn't reap souls. Jaewon didn't want to lose anyone else. He didn't want them to fall any further. In his have crazed state of mind, Jaewon had one thought. Do the job, and keep people close. He was dangerous and abusive, but he got the job done. Passion filled actions were the most dangerous. When Dongho was collected, Jaewon tamed considerably. Dongho was an anchor he could rely on. Fear still fueled most of Jaewon's actions, but Dongho understood and could handle it.

Down in Hell, Jun was broken. He felt pain. There were no lower reapers anymore. The monster of the pits normally took care of the souls. Its first line of business was to break Jun. A pure reaper like him was a fun toy in manipulation. Jun was picked by the monster, the stain of evil spreading through his neck. He was trained. Honed. All he knew was pain and to not disappoint. Often his punishments were severe and long enduring. Jun suffered quietly. When he received Minsoo, he trained him in the only way he knew how. Pain.

~~

Thoughts were long. Jun cursed quietly. Time was fluid in the realms outside of the mortal world. Dongho had just finished listening to Jaewon tell him the same story. His mentor, teacher, tormentor, and friend was completely in tune with the pain of his past. Dongho wanted to cry. He wanted to break. Jaewon needed him now. In his condition with pills all around him and the severe apathy to life, Dongho needed to rouse Wyld. Jaewon was increasingly unstable, but there was reasoning with Wyld.

Wyld was currently working, cleaning, thriving. Dongho watched worriedly as Wyld seemed to move like a robot. He had been more lucid since his attempt on his own life. There was less screaming and hitting as he reaped souls. His crown was perched on top of his red hair like a cruel joke. Dongho had often seen Jaewon as a strong icon, but there were all kinds of strength in Jaewon now that Dongho knew the whole story.

-

Minsoo was freed from the deepest pit of Hell after the year was up. He was quieter than ever. Jun didn't understand what could've happened between the boys that transcended so many lifetimes. Minsoo had lost the luster of his years. There was no beauty in this particular instance of suffering. Jun was angered though he didn't understand why. He had handled the pain, but it was always a consequence of his own actions. It was never for another person. Yet here was his reaper, numb and dead on his feet for a soul that just existed.

Daehyun and Minsoo were like twins separated at birth. Their bond was so strong. Jun grunted in frustration. Why had everything been so clean for them? Where even was the soul Minsoo had helped? In a desperate attempt to make himself feel better, Minsoo was sent on a mission to collect more souls. Pushing another being to ease his feelings didn't work. Minsoo didn't scream or complain. He stood there and obeyed orders. Jun had broken him so completely there was no reason for Minsoo to rebel.

A foreign feeling crept into his heart. Regret. He didn't mean to ruin the boy's life. Just because he was in Hell didn't mean he had to make the boy's life hell. The beast sensed the Lower's hesitation. With a snarl, the evil and pain rushed into Jun's body. Blood came out of the Reaper's mouth. His cells were on fire. He couldn't breathe. The beast was taking control of him, forcing humanity out of Jun again. A cry left Jun's lips. The burns on his feet heated up and the remaining water in his lungs seemed to expand.

At the same time, Jaewon wrestled control from Wyld. He was crazier than before, unable to deal with the feelings different from simple apathy. He was confused and scared. Dongho rushed to his side, only to be met with flailing limbs and soft sobbing. Scooping the shorter male up, Dongho quietly comforted Jaewon.

"Don't leave me Jun."

"I won't leave you."

Jaewon recoiled. "You're not Jun."

"I'm Dongho. Your apprentice."

"Ah yes. Dongho. Don't leave."

"Why would I?"

"Jun said he wouldn't leave. And she said she wouldn't leave either."

"I'm not them."

"Are you sure? Loyalty is nonexistent. Especially among Reapers and souls."

"Minsoo took all of Daehyun's punishment. He was freed yesterday."

"You're lying. Who'd do that?"

"Did you forget? You let me take Daehyun's soul up to Heaven."

"I didn't forget. I just thought he lied."

"He didn't lie."

"He was being honest? Jun caught a good one."

Jaewon gave a small laugh. He wasn't able to process what was going on, but Minsoo seemed like a good person. There was a few left and now one was immortal. Jaewon liked that. He liked the idea of a stable reaper. MInsoo, however, was far from stable. He never spoke, couldn't maintain eye contact, and Jun always clutched his strings. Minsoo had no freedom. The only tears he cried was when Daehyun was mentioned. The bond between the two was like brothers. Dongho laid a sleeping Jaewon onto the bed.

-

Another century passed and chatters that the Creator had shown himself floated around. No one saw the creator. He stayed dormant in one lucky mortal for three lives, often causing early death for the human selected. It had been ages since the last appearance of the creator, though. Most reapers had no time for small-time gossip until they received a summon to meet the creator. He wanted to see the four he was working with before passing on, leaving that mortal forgotten forever.

Jun packed carefully. The Creator liked spending time on Earth, and would often pick locations amongst the mortals for his meeting points. This time they were meeting in Toyko, Japan. Minsoo was packing normal clothes, the strings tied neatly away. They met Dongho and Jaewon and the Creator with little trouble. When Minsoo saw the Creator he cried. There was no reason he should've, except it was Daehyun. Daehyun had the dormant soul of the Creator in him. Again, he was unattainable. After the Creator nodded his approval, he floated from the body. The other reapers turned to leave, but Minsoo stayed.

He fell to his knees as Dae's body began to dissolve for the last time.

"Daehyun. Please. Don't go. Please." The broken words flowed out of the unused mouth, raw anguish flooding out of the young reaper. "Daehyun I need you. Please."

Somewhere, in an old memory file, Minsoo and Daehyun had been brothers in their first lives. Twins. They were closer than everything put together, and they needed each other. When they were reborn, Minsoo saw Daehyun as a brother to be protected. There was no explainable reason. He was just drawn by fate. Their brotherhood really transcended all rhyme and reason. It passed lifetimes.

"Don't cry Minsoo Hyung."

Minsoo lifted his head, taking off the cursed mask for the first time in 700 years. The young child ghost was sitting in front of him. "Daehyun."

"I'm okay. I've been okay. I didn't mean to run that one time. You know that right?"

Minsoo nodded numbly.

"I know you don't want to feel, but I want you to experience life."

"It all hurts."

"I know. But can you feel right now?"

Minsoo could feel. He felt a love that passed through life itself. A love that could even survive in Hell. It wasn't romantic nor platonic. It was a deep familial love shared only by brothers. He didn't want it to end, but it was going to have to. Jun looked at Jaewon who was looking around for the soul of the only person he loved. He saw her, and she nodded at him. They ran to each other, Jaewon still hurt by her comment.

"Jaewon. I did love you, but not anymore. You have to learn to let go. It's okay if you don't want to love again, but there is no reason to cling to me. I'm just a spirit passing by."

Jaewon pushed her away. He would never love again, but he wouldn't let his first love leave him like that again. Dongho put a comforting arm around Jaewon. He was a caretaker, and Jaewon needed him for support. He had little recollection of his past other than freezing. It was a fairly kind existence though. However, the fact he was a reaper meant he was killed by a family member. Images of a jealous brother flashed in his head.

Dongho was the one his parents relied on for something. The details were fuzzy, but he remembered being tossed out to freeze. Dongho shook his head. He had his place no matter how painful. Several screams punctuated the air. Daehyun and Jaewon's love had faded into nothingness for the last time.

Minsoo cried. He was officially alone. There was no reason to feel. All he had to do was get the job done. Jaewon was a little more than unhinged. The pain of losing his best friend would hurt Minsoo forever. At that moment, Minsoo died. There was no more happy child. It was just Marionette. He was the reaper who was efficient and unfeeling.

The trip back to Hell was silent. There was no need for conversation along the way. Jun was Jun. He had met the creator, broken his slave, life goes on. The looming neon lights of evening Toyko threw shadows onto the two supernatural figures. Marionette was shaking still while Jun was holding onto his strings. There was nothing more the two of them could do. In fact, they descended to their place below, and Marionette stood awaiting orders to collect a soul. He knew or wanted nothing more than his job.

As he was given yet another chore, the poem changed itself once more.

"You've left but I'm a Reaper."

"Together, we were brothers forever."

"But it took a universe to do us part."

At the last words died away, another child helped his 100th soul ascend, but no reapers came to collect him. He was the last ghost seer, and the four reapers were enough for the world. Every once in a while Minsoo would remember Daehyun, and Jaewon would have an attack on Dongho, but the four immortal beings cursed or maybe blessed, to work for all eternity existed. They pushed past any pain. Jun was never kinder, Jaewon never anymore sane. Nothing changed except Marionette, who was added to the ranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and all are so appreciated. I'm most proud of this work. It's the longest I've done. Thank yall who helped me out with it!!

**Author's Note:**

> are you sad?
> 
> i'm sorry (not really)
> 
> hope you enjoyed it.


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